CIA Director to Quit, Friends Say

August 15, 1996

August 15, 1996

THE DAILY FED

CIA Director to Quit, Friends Say

CIA Director John Deutch wants to resign and become Defense Secretary, The Washington Post reported this morning. Several anonymous sources in and around the nation's capital said Deutch wants to make the move at the end of the year. CIA spokesmen, however, deny the rumors, saying Deutch has not made any statement indicating a desire to step down.

Deutch took over the top intelligence post in May 1995 after R. James Woolsey resigned amid criticism over his handling of the Aldrich Ames spy case. Deutch has spent the last 15 months trying to reorganize the intelligence community and repair damage done by past CIA operations (see "Rethinking Intelligence," Government Executive, June, 1996). Deutch has worked to draw closer ties between the CIA and intelligence operations in the Pentagon. Establishing the National Imaging and Mapping Agency (NIMA), which would be a 10,000-person agency combining CIA and Pentagon operations, has been another of his goals. Congress is close to approving NIMA.

Sources told The Washington Post that Deutch has not been able to integrate himself into the CIA because of his strong Defense Department leanings. Deutch himself has made no public comment about his future plans.